diff --git a/swift/container/sharder.py b/swift/container/sharder.py
index 958418274a..1812de74bb 100644
--- a/swift/container/sharder.py
+++ b/swift/container/sharder.py
@@ -1660,6 +1660,7 @@ class ContainerSharder(ContainerSharderConf, ContainerReplicator):
     def _cleave_shard_broker(self, broker, cleaving_context, shard_range,
                              own_shard_range, shard_broker, put_timestamp,
                              shard_part, node_id):
+        result = CLEAVE_SUCCESS
         start = time.time()
         # only cleave from the retiring db - misplaced objects handler will
         # deal with any objects in the fresh db
@@ -1685,15 +1686,9 @@ class ContainerSharder(ContainerSharderConf, ContainerReplicator):
                     # This was just created; don't need to replicate this
                     # SR because there was nothing there. So cleanup and
                     # remove the shard_broker from its hand off location.
-                    self.delete_db(shard_broker)
-                    cleaving_context.range_done(shard_range.upper_str)
-                    if shard_range.upper >= own_shard_range.upper:
-                        # cleaving complete
-                        cleaving_context.cleaving_done = True
-                    cleaving_context.store(broker)
                     # Because nothing was here we wont count it in the shard
                     # batch count.
-                    return CLEAVE_EMPTY
+                    result = CLEAVE_EMPTY
                 # Else, it wasn't newly created by us, and
                 # we don't know what's in it or why. Let it get
                 # replicated and counted in the batch count.
@@ -1742,40 +1737,46 @@ class ContainerSharder(ContainerSharderConf, ContainerReplicator):
             shard_broker.merge_shard_ranges(shard_range)
             replication_quorum = self.shard_replication_quorum
 
-        self.logger.info(
-            'Replicating new shard container %s for %s',
-            quote(shard_broker.path), own_shard_range)
+        if result == CLEAVE_EMPTY:
+            self.delete_db(shard_broker)
+        else:  # result == CLEAVE_SUCCESS:
+            self.logger.info(
+                'Replicating new shard container %s for %s',
+                quote(shard_broker.path), own_shard_range)
 
-        success, responses = self._replicate_object(
-            shard_part, shard_broker.db_file, node_id)
+            success, responses = self._replicate_object(
+                shard_part, shard_broker.db_file, node_id)
 
-        replication_successes = responses.count(True)
-        if (not success and (not responses or
-                             replication_successes < replication_quorum)):
-            # insufficient replication or replication not even attempted;
-            # break because we don't want to progress the cleave cursor
-            # until each shard range has been successfully cleaved
-            self.logger.warning(
-                'Failed to sufficiently replicate cleaved shard %s for %s: '
-                '%s successes, %s required.', shard_range, quote(broker.path),
-                replication_successes, replication_quorum)
-            self._increment_stat('cleaved', 'failure', statsd=True)
-            return CLEAVE_FAILED
+            replication_successes = responses.count(True)
+            if (not success and (not responses or
+                                 replication_successes < replication_quorum)):
+                # insufficient replication or replication not even attempted;
+                # break because we don't want to progress the cleave cursor
+                # until each shard range has been successfully cleaved
+                self.logger.warning(
+                    'Failed to sufficiently replicate cleaved shard %s for %s:'
+                    ' %s successes, %s required.', shard_range,
+                    quote(broker.path),
+                    replication_successes, replication_quorum)
+                self._increment_stat('cleaved', 'failure', statsd=True)
+                result = CLEAVE_FAILED
+            else:
+                elapsed = round(time.time() - start, 3)
+                self._min_stat('cleaved', 'min_time', elapsed)
+                self._max_stat('cleaved', 'max_time', elapsed)
+                self.logger.info(
+                    'Cleaved %s for shard range %s in %gs.',
+                    quote(broker.path), shard_range, elapsed)
+                self._increment_stat('cleaved', 'success', statsd=True)
 
-        elapsed = round(time.time() - start, 3)
-        self._min_stat('cleaved', 'min_time', elapsed)
-        self._max_stat('cleaved', 'max_time', elapsed)
-        broker.merge_shard_ranges(shard_range)
-        cleaving_context.range_done(shard_range.upper_str)
-        if shard_range.upper >= own_shard_range.upper:
-            # cleaving complete
-            cleaving_context.cleaving_done = True
-        cleaving_context.store(broker)
-        self.logger.info(
-            'Cleaved %s for shard range %s in %gs.',
-            quote(broker.path), shard_range, elapsed)
-        self._increment_stat('cleaved', 'success', statsd=True)
-        return CLEAVE_SUCCESS
+        if result in (CLEAVE_SUCCESS, CLEAVE_EMPTY):
+            broker.merge_shard_ranges(shard_range)
+            cleaving_context.range_done(shard_range.upper_str)
+            if shard_range.upper >= own_shard_range.upper:
+                # cleaving complete
+                cleaving_context.cleaving_done = True
+            cleaving_context.store(broker)
+        return result
 
     def _cleave_shard_range(self, broker, cleaving_context, shard_range,
                             own_shard_range):
diff --git a/test/probe/test_sharder.py b/test/probe/test_sharder.py
index 082f5163e9..22a6d4ed22 100644
--- a/test/probe/test_sharder.py
+++ b/test/probe/test_sharder.py
@@ -1332,6 +1332,81 @@ class TestContainerSharding(BaseAutoContainerSharding):
     def test_sharded_listing_with_replicators(self):
         self._test_sharded_listing(run_replicators=True)
 
+    def test_listing_under_populated_replica(self):
+        # the leader node and one other primary have all the objects and will
+        # cleave to 4 shard ranges, but the third primary only has 1 object in
+        # the final shard range
+        obj_names = self._make_object_names(2 * self.max_shard_size)
+        self.brain.servers.stop(number=self.brain.node_numbers[2])
+        self.put_objects(obj_names)
+        self.brain.servers.start(number=self.brain.node_numbers[2])
+        subset_obj_names = [obj_names[-1]]
+        self.put_objects(subset_obj_names)
+        self.brain.servers.stop(number=self.brain.node_numbers[2])
+
+        # sanity check: the first 2 primaries will list all objects
+        self.assert_container_listing(obj_names, req_hdrs={'x-newest': 'true'})
+
+        # Run sharder on the fully populated nodes, starting with the leader
+        client.post_container(self.url, self.admin_token, self.container_name,
+                              headers={'X-Container-Sharding': 'on'})
+        self.sharders.once(number=self.brain.node_numbers[0],
+                           additional_args='--partitions=%s' % self.brain.part)
+        self.sharders.once(number=self.brain.node_numbers[1],
+                           additional_args='--partitions=%s' % self.brain.part)
+
+        # Verify that the first 2 primary nodes have cleaved the first batch of
+        # 2 shard ranges
+        broker = self.get_broker(self.brain.part, self.brain.nodes[0])
+        self.assertEqual('sharding', broker.get_db_state())
+        shard_ranges = [dict(sr) for sr in broker.get_shard_ranges()]
+        self.assertLengthEqual(shard_ranges, 4)
+        self.assertEqual([ShardRange.CLEAVED, ShardRange.CLEAVED,
+                          ShardRange.CREATED, ShardRange.CREATED],
+                         [sr['state'] for sr in shard_ranges])
+        self.assertEqual(
+            {False},
+            set([ctx.done() for ctx, _ in CleavingContext.load_all(broker)]))
+
+        # listing is complete (from the fully populated primaries at least);
+        # the root serves the listing parts for the last 2 shard ranges which
+        # are not yet cleaved
+        self.assert_container_listing(obj_names, req_hdrs={'x-newest': 'true'})
+
+        # Run the sharder on the under-populated node to get it fully
+        # cleaved.
+        self.brain.servers.start(number=self.brain.node_numbers[2])
+        Manager(['container-replicator']).once(
+            number=self.brain.node_numbers[2])
+        self.sharders.once(number=self.brain.node_numbers[2],
+                           additional_args='--partitions=%s' % self.brain.part)
+
+        broker = self.get_broker(self.brain.part, self.brain.nodes[2])
+        self.assertEqual('sharded', broker.get_db_state())
+        shard_ranges = [dict(sr) for sr in broker.get_shard_ranges()]
+        self.assertLengthEqual(shard_ranges, 4)
+        self.assertEqual([ShardRange.ACTIVE, ShardRange.ACTIVE,
+                          ShardRange.ACTIVE, ShardRange.ACTIVE],
+                         [sr['state'] for sr in shard_ranges])
+        self.assertEqual(
+            {True, False},
+            set([ctx.done() for ctx, _ in CleavingContext.load_all(broker)]))
+
+        # Get a consistent view of shard range states then check listing
+        Manager(['container-replicator']).once(
+            number=self.brain.node_numbers[2])
+        # oops, the listing is incomplete because the last 2 listing parts are
+        # now served by the under-populated shard ranges.
+        self.assert_container_listing(
+            obj_names[:self.max_shard_size] + subset_obj_names,
+            req_hdrs={'x-newest': 'true'})
+
+        # but once another replica has completed cleaving the listing is
+        # complete again
+        self.sharders.once(number=self.brain.node_numbers[1],
+                           additional_args='--partitions=%s' % self.brain.part)
+        self.assert_container_listing(obj_names, req_hdrs={'x-newest': 'true'})
+
     def test_async_pendings(self):
         obj_names = self._make_object_names(self.max_shard_size * 2)
 
diff --git a/test/unit/container/test_sharder.py b/test/unit/container/test_sharder.py
index 1ffb0e16a4..e0beaceb2b 100644
--- a/test/unit/container/test_sharder.py
+++ b/test/unit/container/test_sharder.py
@@ -1663,6 +1663,9 @@ class TestSharder(BaseTestSharder):
         self.assertEqual(cleaving_context.ranges_todo, 0)
         self.assertTrue(cleaving_context.cleaving_done)
 
+        self.assertEqual([ShardRange.CLEAVED] * 3,
+                         [sr.state for sr in broker.get_shard_ranges()])
+
     def test_cleave_root_empty_db_with_pre_existing_shard_db_handoff(self):
         broker = self._make_broker()
         broker.enable_sharding(Timestamp.now())
@@ -1695,6 +1698,10 @@ class TestSharder(BaseTestSharder):
         self.assertEqual(cleaving_context.ranges_todo, 2)
         self.assertFalse(cleaving_context.cleaving_done)
 
+        self.assertEqual(
+            [ShardRange.CLEAVED, ShardRange.CREATED, ShardRange.CREATED],
+            [sr.state for sr in broker.get_shard_ranges()])
+
     def test_cleave_shard_range_no_own_shard_range(self):
         # create an unsharded broker that has shard ranges but no
         # own_shard_range, verify that it does not cleave...